The

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zo ...

Deomyinae consists of four

genera Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...

mouse A mouse (: mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus'' ...

-like

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodentia ( ), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and Mandible, lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal specie ...

s that were previously placed in the subfamilies

Murinae The Old World rats and mice, part of the subfamily Murinae in the family Muridae, comprise at least 519 species. Members of this subfamily are called murines. In terms of species richness, this subfamily is larger than all mammal families excep ...

and

Dendromurinae Dendromurinae is a subfamily of rodents in the family Nesomyidae and superfamily Muroidea. The dendromurines are currently restricted to Africa, as is the case for all extant members of the family Nesomyidae. The authorship of the subfamily has ...

. They are sometimes called the Acomyinae, particularly in references that antedate the discovery that the link rat, '' Deomys ferugineus'', is part of the

clade In biology, a clade (), also known as a Monophyly, monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that is composed of a common ancestor and all of its descendants. Clades are the fundamental unit of cladistics, a modern approach t ...

. Deomyinae is the older name and therefore has priority over Acomyinae. Deomyines share no morphological characteristics that can be used to separate them from other muroids, though subtle aspects of the third upper molar have been suggested. This

is united solely on the basis of shared

gene In biology, the word gene has two meanings. The Mendelian gene is a basic unit of heredity. The molecular gene is a sequence of nucleotides in DNA that is transcribed to produce a functional RNA. There are two types of molecular genes: protei ...

tic mutations. These conclusions have demonstrated good

statistical Statistics (from German language, German: ', "description of a State (polity), state, a country") is the discipline that concerns the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of data. In applying statistics to a s ...

support using nuclear and

mitochondrial DNA Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA and mDNA) is the DNA located in the mitochondrion, mitochondria organelles in a eukaryotic cell that converts chemical energy from food into adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mitochondrial DNA is a small portion of the D ...

, and DNA-DNA hybridization. Because of the lack of physical characteristics supporting this group, it is very possible that the subfamily as it is currently recognized is subject to enlargement. Many of the genera currently placed in the Murinae or Dendromurinae have not yet been included in a

molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

analysis. All genera are found in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

, suggesting the deomyines may have originated there. The spiny mice, '' Acomys'' spp., are also found in

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

. Individuals from every genus in the subfamily have been found to possess tail osteoderms, which are rarely seen in mammals.

Classification

The four genera and 54 species included in the Deomyinae are: *Subfamily Deomyinae **Genus '' Acomys'' – spiny mice ***

Western Saharan spiny mouse The Western Saharan spiny mouse or Aïr spiny mouse (''Acomys airensis'') is a species of small, insectivorous rodent in the family Muridae found arid regions of western Africa. Description The Western Saharan spiny mouse is a small mouse with l ...

, ''Acomys airensis'' ***

Cairo spiny mouse The Cairo spiny mouse (''Acomys cahirinus''), also known as the common spiny mouse, Egyptian spiny mouse, or Arabian spiny mouse, is a Nocturnality, nocturnal species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Africa north of the Sahara De ...

, ''Acomys cahirinus'' ***

Chudeau's spiny mouse Chudeau's spiny mouse (''Acomys chudeaui'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae found in Algeria, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, and Niger. Its natural habitats are rocky areas and hot desert A desert is a landscape where little prec ...

, ''Acomys chudeaui'' ***

Asia Minor spiny mouse The Asia Minor spiny mouse (''Acomys cilicicus'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. Description ''Acomys cilicicus'' is a small terrestrial and social rodent, living in large groups. The head and the body reach a length of , with a ...

, ''Acomys cilicicus'' ***

Gray spiny mouse The gray spiny mouse (''Acomys cineraceus'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae found in Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, moist savanna, rocky areas, arable land Arable land (from the , ...

, ''Acomys cineraceus'' *** Eastern spiny mouse, ''Acomys dimidiatus'' ***

Fiery spiny mouse The fiery spiny mouse (''Acomys ignitus'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae found in Kenya and Tanzania. Its natural habitats are dry savanna and rocky areas. It may be found as a commensal in human habitations. Description While m ...

, ''Acomys ignitus'' ***

Johan's spiny mouse Johan's spiny mouse (''Acomys johannis'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and Togo. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, sub ...

, ''Acomys johannis'' ***

Kemp's spiny mouse Kemp's spiny mouse (''Acomys kempi'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Kenya, Somalia, and Tanzania. Its natural habitats are dry savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodlan ...

, ''Acomys kempi'' ***

Louise's spiny mouse Louise's spiny mouse (''Acomys louisae'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland A grassland i ...

, '' Acomys louisae'' *** Crete spiny mouse, ''Acomys minous'' *** Mullah spiny mouse, ''Acomys mullah'' ***

Muze spiny mouse The Muze spiny mouse (''Acomys muzei'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae found in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, and Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the ...

, ''Acomys muzei'' *** Cyprus spiny mouse, ''Acomys nesiotes'' ***

Nguru spiny mouse The Nguru spiny mouse (''Acomys ngurui'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae found in Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered ...

, ''Acomys ngurui'' *** Percival's spiny mouse, ''Acomys percivali'' *** Golden spiny mouse, ''Acomys russatus'' ***

Seurat's spiny mouse Seurat's spiny mouse (''Acomys seurati'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Algeria. Its natural habitats are rocky areas and hot desert A desert is a landscape where little precipitation occurs and, cons ...

, ''Acomys seurati'' *** Southern African spiny mouse, ''Acomys spinosissimus'' *** Cape spiny mouse, ''Acomys subspinosus'' ***

Wilson's spiny mouse Wilson's spiny mouse (''Acomys wilsoni'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland Tr ...

, ''Acomys wilsoni'' **Genus ''

Deomys The link rat (''Deomys ferrugineus'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is also known by the common name Congo forest mouse.Schlitter, D. & Kerbis Peterhans, J. 2008''Deomys ferrugineus''.The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Ve ...

'' ***

Link rat The link rat (''Deomys ferrugineus'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is also known by the common name Congo forest mouse.Schlitter, D. & Kerbis Peterhans, J. 2008''Deomys ferrugineus''.The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Ve ...

, ''Deomys ferrugineus'' **Genus '' Lophuromys'' - brush-furred mice ***Subgenus ''Kivumys'' **** Yellow-bellied brush-furred rat, ''Lophuromys luteogaster'' **** Medium-tailed brush-furred rat, ''Lophuromys medicaudatus'' **** Woosnam's brush-furred rat, ''Lophuromys woosnami'' ***Subgenus ''Lophuromys'' **** Angolan brush-furred rat, ''Lophuromys angolensis'' **** Ansorge's brush-furred rat, ''Lophuromys ansorgei'' ****

Gray brush-furred rat The gray brush-furred rat (''Lophuromys aquilus'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical swamps, subtropical or tropical moist montane ...

, ''Lophuromys aquilus'' ****

Short-tailed brush-furred rat The short-tailed brush-furred rat (''Lophuromys brevicaudus'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Ethiopia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland and subtropical or tropical high- ...

, ''Lophuromys brevicaudus'' **** Thomas's Ethiopian brush-furred rat, ''Lophuromys brunneus'' **** Mount Chercher brush-furred rat, ''Lophuromys chercherensis'' ****

Ethiopian forest brush-furred rat The Ethiopian forest brush-furred rat or golden-footed brush-furred rat (''Lophuromys chrysopus''), is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is endemic to Ethiopia where its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests ...

, ''Lophuromys chrysopus'' ****

Dieterlen's brush-furred mouse Dieterlen's brush-furred mouse, Mt Oku brush-furred mouse, or Mount Oku brush-furred rat (''Lophuromys dieterleni'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is endemic to Mount Oku, Cameroon. Its natural habitat is montane forest Mon ...

, ''Lophuromys dieterleni'' **** Dudu's brush-furred rat, ''Lophuromys dudui'' **** Eisentraut's brush-furred rat, ''Lophuromys eisentrauti'' ****

Yellow-spotted brush-furred rat The yellow-spotted brush-furred rat (''Lophuromys flavopunctatus'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae found in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Zambia. Its na ...

, ''Lophuromys flavopunctatus'' **** Hutterer's brush-furred mouse, ''Lophuromys huttereri'' **** Kilonzo's brush furred rat, ''Lophuromys kilonzoi'' ****'' Lophuromys laticeps'' **** Machandu's brush furred rat, ''Lophuromys machangui'' **** Makundi's brush-furred rat, ''Lophuromys makundii'' ****'' Lophuromys margarettae'' ****

Black-clawed brush-furred rat The black-clawed brush-furred rat (''Lophuromys melanonyx'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Ethiopia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland. It is threatened by habitat loss ...

, ''Lophuromys melanonyx'' **** North Western Rift brush-furred rat, ''Lophuromys menageshae'' **** Fire-bellied brush-furred rat, ''Lophuromys nudicaudus'' **** Sheko Forest brush-furred rat, ''Lophuromys pseudosikapusi'' **** Rahm's brush-furred rat, ''Lophuromys rahmi'' ****'' Lophuromys rita'' **** Mount Cameroon brush-furred rat, ''Lophuromys roseveari'' **** Sabuni's brush-furred rat, ''Lophuromys sabunii'' **** Rusty-bellied brush-furred rat, ''Lophuromys sikapusi'' ****'' Lophuromys simensis'' **** Stanley's brush-furred rat, ''Lophuromys stanleyi'' **** Verhagen's brush-furred mouse, ''Lophuromys verhageni'' **** Zena's brush-furred rat, ''Lophuromys zena'' **Genus ''

Uranomys Rudd's mouse or the white-bellied brush-furred rat (''Uranomys ruddi'') is the only species in the genus ''Uranomys''. This animal is closely related to the spiny mice, brush-furred mice, and the link rat. Description Head and body sizes r ...

'' *** Rudd's mouse, ''Uranomys ruddi''

References

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q131896 Mammal subfamilies . Taxa named by Oldfield Thomas